


Rumour Mill

by sarahwithan_h



Series: Lizzie Bennet Diaries One-Shots [3]
Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Past Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Rumors, Sibling Bonding, The old high school rumour mill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:08:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27573574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahwithan_h/pseuds/sarahwithan_h
Summary: When Lydia comes to school again after her failed date with Brent, everything has changed. Even her own sisters treat her differently.(I put a TW for underage and sexual assault just to be certain, but there's only an attempt referenced, nothing graphic or happening in real-time)
Relationships: Lizzie Bennet & Lydia Bennet, Lydia Bennet/Brent Cooper
Series: Lizzie Bennet Diaries One-Shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2014354
Kudos: 4





	Rumour Mill

Chittering as always, Mrs Bennet asked her daughters how their day was.  
"Fine," Lydia said, pricking in her food but not eating anything.  
"How was school?"  
"My school was fun," Jane said before Lydia or Lizzie could answer, "We are playing with texture and shape, I get to use all these crazy materials for the Medusa project."  
"You are lucky you're in college," Lizzie said.  
"It's only one more year," Jane tried to encourage her.  
"Thank goodness," Lizzie said, glaring at Lydia. Lydia didn't respond.  
"How is Brent doing?" Mrs Bennet asked Lydia.  
"He's fine."  
"Just fine?"  
"We broke up."  
"That's not what I heard-" Lizzie said. Jane shot her an angry glance.  
"Well, you heard wrong."  
"Did he break up with you because-"  
" _I_ broke up with _him_ , because he was being an ass."  
"Lydia, mind your language," Mr Bennet glanced over the corner of his newspaper.  
"I can say whatever I want when a guy I thought I could trust tells the entire school I'm slut!" Lydia bites across the table. "I'm not hungry," she announced, and she left without saying another word. They could hear the door of her bedroom slam.

A while later, Lizzie knocked on the door of Lydia's bedroom.  
A mumbled answer came from inside, Lizzie decided to take it as a yes.  
"I brought your food."  
"I already said, I'm not hungry."  
Lydia was lying on her bed, hiding under the blankets and facing the wall.  
Lizzie tentatively sat down beside her. "You will need to eat something."  
Lydia shot up: "How often do I need to tell you I am not hungry?!"  
Lizzie sighed. "I'll leave it here in case you get hungry later tonight."

"Lizzie? Are you still awake?" Lydia walked into the living room, wearing nothing but her pyjamas.  
Lizzie paused her film. "I didn't wake you up, did I?"  
"No, I couldn't sleep." Lydia curled up on the couch beside Lizzie. "What are we watching?"  
"Legally Blonde."  
"Great! Turn it back on."

A while later, Lizzie heard soft crying coming from next to her.  
She pulled her sister a little closer to her and put the film on mute.  
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" she said after a while.  
"No," Lydia said.  
Lizzie resisted the urge to question any further, but she didn't turn the sound back on.  
"We went on a date last Wednesday."  
"I thought you were with Harriet-"  
 _"-I lied, OK,"_ Lydia cut off Lizzie.  
Lizzie nodded. It took a while before Lydia continued speaking: "So we were at his place, his folks weren't home, and he wanted to- do things. So I told him I didn't want that. He got angry, so I left. When I arrived at school the next day- Well, you know. Today was even worse than yesterday. Everybody knows."  
Lydia curled up to Lizzie: "I don't wanna go to school tomorrow."  
Lizzie slowly rubbed over her sister's back. "You will have to go to school eventually."  
"Just not tomorrow. Please. I'll go again after the weekend."  
Lizzie nodded. "I'll tell the school you're ill."  
"Thank you." Lydia burrowed her head in Lizzie's shoulder. "I'm scared."  
"It won't be all bad. I will be there. And you have Harriet and-"  
Lydia scoffed but softened her expression right after. "At least I have you. Do you have to graduate so soon?"  
Lizzie laughed. "By the time I'm gone, everyone will have forgotten those stupid rumours."  
"You think so?"  
"I know so."  
Lydia moved away from Lizzie, grabbed the remote, and turned the tv back on. The signal was clear: this conversation was over.  
But to Lizzie, it wasn't. She kept looking at her sister, who was watching the screen with dark eyes. She felt helpless, watching her sister suffer and there was nothing she could do about it.  
"Lydia?" she asked softly.  
Lydia glared at Lizzie, but she did pause the film. "What?!"  
"You- you don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. You know that, right?"  
Lydia looked away. "I know, nerd. That's how I got into this situation in the first place. If I'd just let him-"  
"No," Lizzie interrupted her, "Don't finish that sentence. This is not your fault, Lydia. You did the right thing."  
Lydia smiled bitterly. "Thanks, sis. Can we please stop talking about this and go watch the film now?"

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I headcanon that this was what started Lydia's whole "The Lydia Bennet doesn't do dating" thing. She didn't want to be hurt again. And then, when she finally did date someone again, well, you know what happened.
> 
> Poor Lydia :'(


End file.
